


Bodyguard

by Eastofthemoon



Series: Raised By Lions [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Brotherly Love, Family Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 17:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13595076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: When Keith becomes ill, Shiro has to go find medicine.  Along the way, he discovers not only trouble, but the existence of a secret ally.





	Bodyguard

Shiro wasn’t sure which made the jungle worse to walk through, the twisted tree roots everywhere that one couldn’t help but trip over, or the blinding rainstorm that soaked him to the bone  


He adjusted the hood over his head as he made his way past the foliage and the Red Lion came into view. If they were able to, it would have been more convenient to have Keith parked his lion closer to the town to buy supplies. Unfortunately, there was a higher risk of the locals asking questions and possibly alerting any nearby bounty hunters of their presence.

As much as Shiro hated the walk, it was safer to have the Red Lion away from the village. Even if it meant Shiro got soaked to the bone as a result.

He glanced back to check Keith hadn’t stumbled into another mud puddle. “Doing okay, buddy?”

Keith growled as brushed away the wet bangs from his eyes and attempted to shake more of the wet mud off of him. “I’ll be better once I’m in dry clothes,” he poked at his mud coated pants, “clean ones at that.”

“I hear ya,” Shiro said as he offered his hand to climb over the root. “I’m ready to be warm and dry for a bit.”

Keith opened his mouth to speak, but a sneeze cut him off. “Sorry,” he muttered as he wiped his hand before taking Shiro’s. “Something here has been setting my allergies off.”

“All the more reason to get inside,” Shiro said as be pulled Keith closer to him so they could share a little body heat. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

Keith nodded and their walk quickly turned into a run as the rain began to pour down harder. They dashed inside Red, and in perfect sync dropped their hooded capes to the ground.

“Finally we can warm up,” Shiro said as he removed his bag and began to take out the new supplies.

Keith opened his mouth to respond, but then paused as he shut his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, yeah, Red I know!” He shook his head as he glanced to Shiro. “She wants us to clean up the mud we’re dripping onto the floor.”

“Ah,” Shiro said as he hung up the wet hooded cape. “Want to do that now before we get into clean clothes?”

“Just a sec,” Keith said as he dropped his cape onto the floor, and then proceeded to shake the mud off his body. Once the floor was even muddier, he gave a smirk. “There, now we can clean up.”

A growl echoed throughout the giant lion and Shiro was forced to suppress a laugh. “Okay, okay that’s enough teasing Red,” he voiced and grinned. “Well, today at least.”

Keith smiled, but it vanished as he let loose another sneeze. He cursed as he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “Dang it, I thought the allergies would go away once we were inside.”

Shiro frowned as he took a closer look at the Keith’s face. It was a bit paler than usual. He had noticed it during their jungle trek, but Shiro blamed it on the rain and the shadows of the trees. He didn’t feel as certain now.

“You feeling, okay?” Shiro asked as he stepped forward and placed a hand on Keith’s forehead. “You’re a bit warm.”

Keith scoffed as he pushed the hand away. “It’s a jungle, Shiro. It comes with the the territory.”

Shiro’s crossed his arms. “And jungles are also a prime hot spots for illness.”

Keith rolled his eyes and he stepped around him. “Shiro, I’m fine. You worry too much.”

Shiro wanted to believe he was wrong, he really did. So, he did his best to toss his fear aside and focussed on planning out their next spot to go to. He almost forgot about his worry, until Keith began to cough.

Shiro glanced over and caught the guilty expression on Keith’s face, but the boy forced a smile. “It’s nothing...just something caught in my throat.”

It wasn’t nothing by the time another hour passed. Keith was shivering. He kept trying to act normal, but Shiro could hear his teeth chattering across the room. 

He set aside the clean clothes he had been folding, and strolled straight over to him. Wordlessly, Shiro placed his forehead against Keith’s and cringed.

“Buddy, you’re burning up,” Shiro said as he broke away.

Keith rubbed his arms. “I’m fine, it’s just a bit cold-”

“Keith, it’s time to drop the tough guy act,” Shiro said, wrapping his arm around the boy and pulling him to his feet. “Come on, we got to get you into bed.”

He expected Keith to resist, but much to both Shiro’s relief, Keith slumped against him. 

“Yeah..alright,” Keith whispered. “Red has been nagging that at me for the last hour.” His eyes narrowed. “No, you don’t get to say I told you so, Red.”

Shiro gave a relieved smile as he brought Keith down to the their makeshifts bed. He helped Keith take off his boots and socks before tucking him in. Shiro then went for his own blanket and placed that over Keith.

“Better?” Shiro asked as he patted Keith’s hair.

Keith nodded as he shut his eyes. “I’ll be okay, Shiro,” he muttered. “I probably just need to sleep it off.”

“You’re probably right,” Shiro said as he sat beside him. Deep down in his gut, Shiro couldn’t fight off growing worry within.

Two hours later, he was proven right. Keith’s fever still hadn’t broken, and he kept coughing. Shiro gave him medicine they had picked up a while ago and it put Keith into a deep sleep, but didn’t seem to help much beyond that.

Shiro patted Keith’s head as the boy whimpered in his sleep. “You’re sick with something, buddy,” he whispered and swallowed a lump in his throat.

This wasn’t good. It wasn’t as if they could go to a hospital to get Keith checked out, and there was no telling what he got struck with.

 _It could just be something that goes away in a few hours,_ Shiro thought, _or could be fatal if not taken care of._

He ran his hand through his hair as he thought back to his time in the gladiator ring. Illnesses were common there. With how cramped together all the slaves were, it was only natural viruses and germs would spread like wildfire.

If you got sick, you’re only hope was pray your body was strong enough to fight it off or you were considered valuable enough to have medicine forced down your throat. By a strange miracle, Shiro hadn’t gotten sick during his time there, but others weren’t as fortunate and he feared Keith would be one of them.

Keith coughed again, and Shiro sat him up to help him have a sip of water. “Hang in there, kiddo,” Shiro whispered and looked up to the ceiling. “Don’t suppose you got any ideas, Red?” He scoffed. “Course, even if you did it’s not like you could tell me.”

Keith could translate, but Shiro hated to wake him up. Plus, Keith’s fever was so high, Shiro was not sure on how coherent the boy would be. Maybe Shiro could-

A loud beeping caused Shiro to jump. Glancing around, he saw nothing, but he still heard the beeping. He frowned as he set Keith back down and then proceeded to find the source.

“It’s coming from the cockpit,” Shiro muttered aloud as he stepped into it. He really only knew the bare basics on how Red flew. Keith was her paladin, and he knew best how to fly her. Shiro tried to pilot her once, he figured he should know how in case of emergencies, but according to Keith it made Red quite grumpy. They both decided if Shiro had to fly it was a last resort. 

Shiro sat in the seat and checked over the monitor. A small bright light was beeping on the screen. He arched an eyebrow. From what he saw, there were no indications of nearby ships so it couldn’t be an alarm, and Keith had doubled check Red’s systems were working before they went to get supplies.

So, what was this?

“Must be a glitch,” Shiro said as he pressed a button and turned off the beeping. “Still, weird too-”

The screen turned black, and before Shiro’s eyes a sentence appeared on the screen.

IT’S NOT A GLITCH, SHIRO. 

Shiro’s eyes widened. “What the hell?” He quickly checked to see who was messaging him, but he saw no hinting of anything. “Who’s doing this?”

IT’S ME, SHIRO.

“Me who?!” Shiro started, but then trailed off. Wait, it was answering like it could hear him. With Keith sleeping the only other person that could was…

“Red?” Shiro asked in a stunned voice. “Are you messaging me?”

YES. STOP GAWKING AND PAY ATTENTION.

Shiro rubbed his eyes. “I am paying attention, but I want to know how you’re doing this exactly.”

Shiro heard a growl, and then more text appeared.

IN EMERGENCIES IF I AM UNABLE TO MENTALLY CONTACT MY PALADIN I CAN COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE SCREEN, BUT IT TAKES MUCH ENERGY TO DO SO. 

Shiro frowned as he crossed his arms. “So, you can’t do this all the time?

CORRECT AND BEFORE YOU ASK I HAVE NOT TOLD KEITH ABOUT THIS ABILITY YET.

“Why not?” Shiro asked.

IT HAS NOT COME UP, BUT ENOUGH QUESTIONS. THE CUB’S ILLNESS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

“That we can agree on,” Shiro said softly as he folded his hands in his lap. “Any idea what it is?”

MY SCANNERS INDICATED IT’S A VIRUS THAT IS COMMON ON THIS PLANET, Red typed out. ACCORDING TO MY DATABASE THERE IS MEDICINE THAT WILL CURE IT.

Shiro’s heart leapt at that. “So, it’s not lethal.”

IF GIVEN THE MEDICINE IN HIS CURRENT STATE, BUT WE HAVE NONE...AND I CAN’T GO SHOPPING.

Shiro gripped his chin. “So, I need to go back to that village Keith and I went to-”

AND BUY MEDICINE THERE, CORRECT. SO GO NOW BEFORE THE CUB GETS WORSE.

Red gave a loud growl and reminded Shiro of a protective lioness. “Believe me, I would be happy to,” Shiro as he raised his hand, “but Keith isn’t in a state I can live him alone.”

With the rain, and the trek through the jungle, it would take awhile for Shiro to reach the village, buy the medicine and get back. Keith was asleep now, but what if he woke up while he was gone? With his fever, Keith wouldn’t be stable enough to take care of himself.

I WILL KEEP AN EYE ON KEITH Red typed out.

Shiro’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure you will, but it’s not like you can stop him from stumbling around inside you and-”

He suddenly sensed something was behind him. Shiro turned and slowly shut his mouth. A ghostly image of a red lioness appeared before him. Her eyes narrowed at Shiro as her tail swung back and forth.

Shiro rose from his seat and pinched his cheek to be check he wasn’t dreaming. “Red?”

The ghostly lioness nodded and without saying a word, she turned and walked out of the cockpit. Shiro followed and she lead him to where Keith was still asleep and shivering while he did so.

Red sniffed at Keith’s hair and then lay next to him. She purred softly into Keith’s hair like he was her cub. Keith’s face relaxed at the gesture and also stopped shivering as he buried his face deeper into his pillow.

Shiro rubbed his neck as Red stared back up at him. “So, I guess you’ll keep him asleep while I go get the medicine?”

Red nodded as she wrapped her ghostly tail around Keith’s waist.

“Right then,” Shiro stated as he reached for his cloak. “I’ll try to be fast as I can. Keep him safe.”

Red rolled her eyes that reminded him of Keith when something obvious was said, but nodded.

Shiro shot them one last look before he went to the door. If he wasn’t so worried about Keith, Shiro probably felt he would have been a bit more freaked out over seeing Red having a literal ghost form.

He tossed any questions he had aside and dashed back into the rainstorm. Shiro just hoped nothing else went wrong today.

However, had he looked up into the trees, he might have noticed the masked figure spying at him in an almost concerned matter.

0808080808080808080808080808080808080808080

Shiro was soaked to the bone by the time he reached the village, but he didn’t care. He was tempted to run around until he found a doctor, but he had to be careful. When he and Keith had come for supplies earlier, there was more of a crowd and they were able to blend in easier. Now it was close to evening, and there was far less people hanging about in the streets and Shiro clearly stood out a lot more as a result.

Shiro checked his hood was up before he attempted to casually walk into town. He caught a few glances from bystanders, but thankfully they seemed more preoccupied with their own business.

Shiro looked up and down the street hunting for any sign of a doctor’s office, but saw none. He cringed. The shops would be closing soon, and Keith needed the medicine now. He didn’t have the time to waste knocking on each shop, so he had to take a chance and ask.

Shiro glanced around and saw a pair of elderly green skin aliens hanging outside of what he assumed was a bar. They were drinking and chatting over a board game of some kind that reminded Shiro of chess. He swallowed and cleared his throat as he approached.

“Excuse me,” he asked as approached. “Can I ask you two something?”

The taller of the two waved his hand without looking up from his board. “Not now, I’m close to winning this thing.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes. “It would only take-”

“I need full concentration, Sonny!” the alien snapped. “Victory has never been so close in my grasp and I-”

“Oh, knock it off, Maca,” the other alien growled as he looked up to Shiro. “Don’t mind him. He’s always grouchy when it rains,” he pointed a finger at him, “and is losing.”

“I’m not losing and I’m not grouchy!” Maca snapped as he moved a piece. “Ha! Beat that, Bicka.”

Bicka rolled his large pair of three eyes and without blinking moved a piece across the board. “There, I win, now stop being rude.”

Maca fumed as his hands formed into fists as Bicka looked back to Shiro. “Sorry, you were saying?”

“I’m looking for a doctor,” Shiro explained feeling relieved. “Is there one nearby?”

Bicka nodded and pointed ahead. “Fourth building down, but best hurry up. I heard Doctor Nesta has been swamped lately with this flu virus going around. Best get there before she leaves to check on some of her patients at their homes.”

“Thank you,” Shiro said as he waved to them. He proceeded to leave, but a large red alien that was twice his size walked out of the bar door. Before he could stop, Shiro collided into him and caused his hood to fall back.

The alien growled. “Watch it, pipsqueak! I’m trying..” The alien trailed off as he looked at Shiro and raised an eyebrow as he snorted. “Hey, haven’t I seen you before?”

Shiro tensed and briskly pulled the hood back over his head. “Nope, sorry. I’ve never been here before.”

The alien looked skeptical and drummed his fingers at the dagger that hung off his belt. “Naw, I’m certain I’ve seen-”

“Sorry, but I need to go,” Shiro stammered and quickly walked down the street. He would have run, but that would have raised further suspicion and he could feel the alien staring at the back of his head.

080808080808080808080808080808080808080

He kept his eyes forward until he located the building and stepped inside. A female pink alien wearing a white coat glanced up from the front counter. 

“Is this an emergency?” She finished putting bottles into her bag. “I was about to leave to check on some patients.”

“I need medicine,” Shiro said as he approached her. “My friend is sick with a high fever, and he’s extremely pale.”

The doctor frowned as she grasped her chin. “How old?”

“14,” Shiro answered.

“And for your species is that young or old?”

“He’s a teenager,” Shiro said as he held out his hands in a desperate plea. “Can you help him?”

The doctor turned around and reached for a bottle on the shelf. “It sounds like your friend has caught the turro virus that’s been going around. It’s a nasty one that likes to pop it’s head up every few years or so.” She held up the bottle. “This is my last bottle, so be careful with it. I won’t have more ready until tomorrow, and it sounds like your friend needs it now.”

Shiro relaxed in relief. “How much do I owe you?”

The doctor shook her head. “I’m not charging anything for people dealing with the turro virus. If not treated, it can quickly spread to other people.” She handed it to him and wrapped his hands around it. “Just to be safe, I would advise taking a dose of it yourself. There’s a high chance you have caught it and don’t even know it yet.”

Shiro stared stunned at the bottle and carefully put it into his pouch. “Thank you, I really appreciate this.”

The doctor waved her hand. “Don’t mention it,” she said as she tucked her hands into her pocket. “Best way to drink it is to brew some tea and pour in a few drops of it. His throat will be sore so it will help it go down better.” She held up two fingers. “Give him a dose when you get home, and one more dose when he wakes up in the morning.”

“Got it, I’ll do that,” Shiro said as he turned to leave. “Again, thank you!”

The doctor gave a nod as Shiro left and was back out into the street. He patted the pouch as he walked by the bar again.

“Did you catch her?” Bicka asked as Macca was fuming over the board.

“I did, thank you,” Shiro answered with a wave. The large alien he had bumped into was standing at the corner. 

Shiro kept his gaze ahead, but he could still feel the alien watching him as he left the town.

 _Once Keith is able, we better get off this planet,_ Shiro thought as he began his trek back. _That guy gives me a bad feeling._

Suddenly, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and whirled around, but he saw no one. He frowned as he rubbed his eyes and returned to walking ahead.

“Better make certain I take that medicine,” Shiro muttered. “I’m starting to see things.”

Unknownst to him, the figure silently watched Shiro walked away from his viewpoint in the trees, but then locked his gaze the large alien that Shiro bumped into. 

“There’s going to be trouble,” he muttered as he placed a hand on his blade.

0808080808080808080808080808080808080808080

Shiro tried to pick up the pace as he walked, but the rain pour down harder and not tripping in the mud became tricky. He ducked under a branch as Shiro patted the medicine that was still inside the pouch.

“Can’t let anything happen to this,” he muttered. “Be a pain in a butt to walk all the way back-”

A branch snapped behind him.

Shiro froze, but kept still. He strained to hear further movement, but heard nothing except the chatter of the jungle. Still, without turning around Shiro activated his arm. He learned from his experience the hard way that it was best to be patient and prepared.

There was no more movement, and Shiro frowned. Was he just being paranoid?

Then he heard feet charging at him from behind. On instinct, Shiro spun around. His arm blocked the blade of a knife. He glanced up the arm and cursed as he saw his attacker was the alien he had bumped into earlier.

The red alien smirked as he jumped back. “I knew I recognized ya,” he taunted as he pointed his knife on him. “You got a nice size bounty on your head.” He sneered. “With that amount of gac, I would be set for the rest of my life.”

“So, you’re a bounty hunter?” Shiro grumbled. “Fantastic.”

The bounty hunter twirled the knife in his hand. “If you surrender now, I’ll go easy on you.”

“Not a chance,” Shiro said as he raced ahead. He attempted a kick, but the bounty hunter dodge, grabbed Shiro by his leg and flipped him to the ground.

Shiro landed with a grunt and to his horror saw the bottle of medicine fall out of his pouch and roll into the bushes.

“No,” Shiro cried and tried to reach for it. Unfortunately, the bounty hunter grabbed him by his cape and yanked him hard backwards. Shiro kicked at the bounty hunter and rolled away before his attacker could stab his side.

Shiro scrambled to his feet and found his back pressing against a tree as the bounty hunter grinned at him.

“Been ages since I got a decent fight,” he said as he raised his knife in the air, “but it ends now-”

Suddenly, the bounty hunter stopped grinning. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as his knife dropped from his hand. Shiro watched stunned as the bounty hunter collapse into the mud with a loud thud.

Shiro continued to be confused as he looked up. A blue hooded and masked stranger had been standing behind the bounty hunter and was now staring at Shiro.

Scowling, Shiro raised his fists. _Another bounty hunter? Great, just what I needed._

The masked stranger checked the bounty hunter’s pulse before looking to Shiro. “He won’t be out for long, we must flee now.”

Shiro dropped his scowl. “What?”

“I pinched a nerve in the back of his neck,” the stranger continued as he rose. “He won’t be unconscious for long, so we must leave.”

Shiro blinked dumbly and pointed at him. “Wait, are you helping me escape?”

“There are no time for questions,” the stranger said as he walked up to Shiro and shoved him forward. “We must leave.”

Shiro glanced back behind him. As much as he wanted to leave, he couldn’t. He had to find the medicine. “I can’t, I dropped some medicine and I have to find-”

He was cut off as the stranger held out a blade and pointed it at him.

“Do not argue,” the stranger said. “I will not hesitate knocking you out and carrying you away from here if you will not do so willingly.”

Shiro stared at the sword and considered his options. He could fight him, but he had no idea what abilities this stranger have, and he wanted to remain conscious. Also, there was a risk of the bounty hunter waking up while he fought and then he had two opponents on his hands to deal with.

Shiro was reluctant to do so, but he had no choice. “Alright, fine. We’ll do it your way,” he said bitterly.

The stranger lowered his sword and pointed. “There’s a cave not far from here. We shall continue this conversation there.”

Shiro said nothing as he began to follow after him. He thought of just running off then and there, but he had a feeling the stranger would catch up to him easily. Not to mention there was a risk of getting lost in this freaking jungle.

He gave a sigh, but then pushed his worries aside as he spotted the sword on the stranger’s back. It was oddly familiar and Shiro didn’t understand why until he spotted the symbol. The symbol Shiro had seen on Keith’s own dagger.

Shiro’s eyes widened and Shiro found himself hoping it was a coincidence. Yet, something in his gut told him it wasn’t.

0808080808080808080808080808080808080808080

He was grateful to not have rain trickling down his back as they entered the cave. Yet, Shiro refused to let down his guard as he looked back around to the masked stranger. The only thing Shiro could conclude was that, judging by the sound of his voice, his ‘rescuer’ was male. Besides that, Shiro knew nothing he else. 

The stranger locked his masked gaze onto Shiro and reached inside a small pouch. “I believe this belongs to you.” He revealed the bottle of medicine Shiro has lost earlier. 

Shiro’s eyes widened. “The medicine,” he breathed and had to resist snatching it from his hands. “How did you get it?”

“I picked it up while you and the bounty hunter were fighting,” the stranger said as he handed it to Shiro. 

He stared at it stunned and carefully wrapped his fingers around it. “Thank you,” Shiro whispered as he put it back into his pouch. “I would have been in a lot of trouble to get more.”

The stranger crossed his arms. “How ill is Keith?”

Shiro froze. “What?”

“Keith rarely ever gets sick,” the stranger commented gently. “For him to be ill, it must be quite serious.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed as he was ready to go into a fighting stance. “How do you know about Keith? I never mentioned him to you.”

The stranger raised his hands up. “Please, do not be alarm. I care greatly for Keith’s well being.”

“And how am I supposed to believe that?” Shiro asked.

“Because I too view Zarkon and the Empire as my enemy,” the stranger continued as he lowered his hands. “As such, I want to ensure the Red Lion nor Keith falls into Zarkon’s hands.”

Shiro swallowed. So this guy knew about the Red Lion too? “Who are you?” Shiro asked. “No offense, but I have a hard time trusting a guy wearing a mask.”

The stranger paused and then gave a nod. “Very well,” he said as he lowered his hood. “Then I shall properly introduce myself.” His fingers tapped on his neck and the mask vanished.

A Galra’s face appeared with white hair and a pair of large ears were set free. Shiro froze. “You’re-”

“I am not your enemy,” the Galra repeated in a soothing tone. “My name is Ulaz. I am Galra, but my associates and I also fight Zarkon.”

Shiro swallowed. “Your associates?”

“The Blade of Marmora,” Ulaz stated, “we’ve been working behind the shadows and been trying to destroy Zarkon’s reign of tyranny for centuries.”

Shiro relaxed slightly, but not fully. There were Galra that oppose Zarkon? It made sense there would be Galra that hated the Empire, but Shiro never imagined there was a secret group of them. Even so, that didn’t quite mean they were allies either.

“And you know about Keith?” Shiro asked.

Ulaz nodded. “I’ve been watching him for a couple of years now without him realizing it.”

“Why?” Shiro asked.

“He’s a young cub,” Ulaz stated as he crossed his arms. “We do not want Zarkon getting any of the Lions of Voltron or their potential paladins. The only way to ensure this was to monitor the boy ourselves.” He leaned against the wall. “How do you think Keith managed to evade Zarkon this long? I have been there to ensure he had been able to escape without him realizing it.”

Shiro thought about it. He had thought it was incredible that Keith had managed to avoid capture for all these years, but then..wait.

His hands formed into fists. “How long exactly have you been watching him?”

Ulaz’s eyes narrowed. “Since he first began to pilot the Red Lion.”

“If your group was so concerned about him,” Shiro asked as he tried to hold back his anger, “why did you leave him all on his own?” He tossed his hands up in the air. “He’s was a kid! You could have brought him to your secret base or whatever and-”

“We tried,” Ulaz said gently.

Shiro ceased his rant and blinked. “Pardon?”

“We tried,” Ulaz repeated as he strengthened his back. “It was Kolivan’s first order when we learned about the boy, but it was a disastrous encounter.”

Shiro frowned. “How so?”

Ulaz sighed as he rubbed his eyes. “We made the mistake of sending some blades who had just completed their training. He was a cub, we didn’t believe it would take much to convince him to come with them, but he was suspicious the moment he spotted them.”

Yeah, Keith would be, Shiro thought, and me for that matter.

“The young blades were impatient and when Keith refused to go with them they tried to force him.” Ulaz massaged his forehead as if the memory itself gave him a headache. “The Red Lion did not care for this.”

“Knowing her temper she wouldn’t,” Shiro said as he crossed his arms.

“They were lucky to get away with their limbs attached if their report was to be believed,” Ulaz said as he rubbed his neck. “After that, it was decided it would be safer to keep an eye on Keith without him knowing.”

“And you were chosen?” Shiro asked.

“No, originally it was another blade by the name of Thace, but he was selected to go on another mission so I took his place.” Ulaz turned his head to the rain. 

Shiro’s eyes hardened. _So, this whole time Keith had a kind of babysitter without him knowing. I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse for all that time he was on his own._ Then a thought struck him.

“Hold it, if you’ve been staying out of Keith’s sight,” Shiro asked as he approached him, “why show yourself now?” 

Keith was sick, but that couldn’t have been the only reason.

Ulaz paused as he turned his head back to Shiro. “I am disobeying orders by doing so, but I believe the time has come to approach you two.” He pointed to him. “I’ve been debating it since Keith rescued you.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“I was tempted to stop Keith from trying to set you free,” Ulaz said thoughtfully. “There was a high risk of him being captured, but I read your records from the time in the fighting arena.” He gave a nod. “I thought you might become a protector and assist Keith in ways I could not do openly.”

“Well, you weren’t wrong.” Shiro ran a hand through his hair. “I’m assuming you revealed yourself to me now because you knew I was in trouble?”

“Correct,” Ulaz stated firmly. “If you had been captured, it was only a matter of time before they located Keith and the Red Lion.” 

“And then we would all be in danger,” Shiro muttered in agreement. Red would be able to fight off any enemies, but Keith wouldn’t be in any state to fight.

Ulaz raised his head at Shiro. “If it came to it, I would have attend to Keith’s illness, but we both know he would do everything to rescue you.” 

“Yeah,” Shiro nodded and gave a weary smile, “well, thanks for saving me.”

“You’re welcome,” Ulaz said, frowning, “but there is a second reason I decided to speak with you..” He extend his hand. “I believe the time has come to offer both you and Keith sanctuary.”

Shiro paused as he lowered his hand. “What do you mean?”

“You and Keith can’t keep running in the Red Lion forever,” Ulaz continued. “Sooner or later, Zarkon will catch up and that can’t happen at least until the other paladins reveal themselves to form Voltron.”

Shiro cringed, but he couldn’t refute it. They were playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse, and they couldn’t hide forever. Red argued Keith was still technically too young to become a paladin. They had to keep moving for a few more years at least.

“Until the time for Keith to full become a paladin, you should have a safe place to stay.” Ulaz took back his hand. “The Blade of Marmora can offer both you protection and we can hide the Red Lion at our headquarters.”

Shiro opened his mouth slightly. “How would that be possible?”

“The Blade of Marmora have been staying in the shadows of the Glara Empire for centuries,” Ulaz gave a smirk. “We are rather experts on the matter.”

Shiro grasped his chin. A safe place? He and Keith wouldn’t have to keep moving? No more worrying if a Galra ship would spot them? No more wondering when or if they would be able to gather supplies soon? They could be stable at least for awhile.

It was tempting, but Shiro also knew only a fool didn’t get suspicious.

“It’s a generous offer,” Shiro said slowly with a sigh, “but I’m sorry, I can’t take it.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to believe it, and I do think you’re telling the truth, but-”

“You’re hesitant, I understand,” Ulaz said calmly. “You would not have survived this long if you weren’t, and I assumed this would be your answer.”

Ulaz then reached into his pouch and brought out a small communicator. “With that said, if you change your mind, or are merely finding you require assistance, activate this and I will answer.”

Shiro took it and held the device up. “Is it a tracker?”

“Yes, and it will allow me to track you,” Ulaz continued as he pointed to the button. “If you do not wish me to, you can deactivate it here.”

Shiro blinked. “You’re telling me this-”

“Because I would like you to trust me,” Ulaz said as he patted Shiro’s shoulder, “and prove you do have an ally with me at the very least.”

Shiro swallowed as he wrapped his fingers around the communicator. “Thank you, Ulaz.”

The Galra nodded, then pulled up his hood. “I should go. I shall go and ensure that bounty hunter has not found your trail. During this, please attend to Keith.”

“I will,” Shiro replied as he pocketed the communicator, “also, please be careful.”

Ulaz gave a wistful smile. “I will. Take care, Shiro.”

The mask reappeared and Ulaz gave one more silent nod before racing back out into the rain. Shiro waited him to be gone before he leaned against the wall. He brought out the bottle of medicine and stared at it hoping it would give him answers.

“Things just become a lot more complicated,” he muttered.

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When Shiro returned, he found the ghost form of Red still huddled protectively around Keith. Much to Shiro’s relief, Keith was still asleep and thus Shiro instantly went to prepare the medicine. As he went to boil water and steep the tea, his mind kept drifting back to Ulaz.

Had it been foolish to turn down his offer? Or had he’d been lying and he was currently planning to lure them into another trap?

Red’s urgent growls force Shiro to break the train of thought and returned to the task at hand. He added a few drops of the medicine, stirred it in and then carefully held it as he brought it to Keith.

Red’s ghost form lifted her head and swiftly entirely vanished as Shiro kneeled. He patted Keith’s head before he gently had him sit up. 

“Have something for you to drink, buddy,” Shiro whispered as he brought the cup to Keith’s lip. “This should make you feel better.”

Keith coughed, and his eyes fluttered briefly. The boy glanced up at Shiro and didn’t seem to register he was there, but he didn’t protest drinking the tea as Shiro tipped it into his mouth.

Once the last drop was gone, Shiro put down the cup and set Keith back onto his bed. “You’re doing great, kiddo,” Shiro said as he wiped at Keith’s forehead with a cloth. “The worst of it should be over now.”

Keith’s only reply was soft snore as he rolled to his side. Shiro gave a soft smile as he leaned against the wall and shut his own eyes. He heard Red growling and somehow Shiro knew she was telling him it was his turn to sleep.

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When Shiro woke up his first thought was to check on Keith. He touched the boy’s cool forehead and felt relief wash over him. Keith muttered in his sleep, but he didn’t crack open an eye as Shiro fixed his blanket back over him.

“You’ll be starving when you wake up,” Shiro whispered. “I should get that ready,” he frowned, “but I need to have a chat with Red first.”

He patted Keith’s head before he stood and went back to the cockpit. Shiro sat in the chair and stared at the blue screen. “I know you said it takes a lot of energy, but we need to talk.”

The blue screen flickered and suddenly words appeared on the screen.

THIS BETTER BE IMPORTANT.

“It is,” Shiro said as he folded his hands into his lap. “Thing is, I ran into a bounty hunter and probably would have lost Keith’s medicine if I hadn’t been rescued.”

Shiro quickly told the rest of the story about Ulaz, who he was, what the Blade of Marmora were and finished with Ulaz’s offer.

The blue screen remained blank for a moment.

DID YOU AGREE TO HIS OFFER?

“No,” Shiro said as he grasped his chin. “I want to believe his telling the truth, but I didn’t feel right taking the risk right now.” His eyes narrowed. “With that said, do you recall some Blades of Marmora trying to retrieve Keith?”

YES, Red wrote on the screen. THEY CLAIM TO BE ALLIES, BUT KEITH WAS HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS, AND THEN ONE OF THEM TRIED TO FORCE KEITH TO GO WITH THEM.

Shiro sucked the air through his teeth. “I can just imagine how you reacted to that.”

I WAS FURIOUS. THEY WERE LUCKY I LET THEM FLEE WITH THEIR LIVES.

“Can’t say I blame you,” Shiro said as he leaned back. 

There was a pause on the screen and then Red wrote WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THIS?

Shiro rubbed his neck. “Because I’m debating if I made the right choice or not.”

YOU BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE RISK?

“I don’t like it, but if Ulaz was telling the truth it would be a safer place for us,” his eyes hardened, “especially for Keith.”

I CAN PROTECT HIM.

“I have no doubt about that,” Shiro replied, “but there are things even you can’t do.” He tossed his hand up. “What if Keith had been this ill and I hadn’t been here to help? Or something worse?”

Shiro doubted there was much Red could do in her ghost form beside offering a bit of comfort. His mind kept wondering what would have happened if Keith had still been on his own. Would Ulaz had been forced to intervene then? Ulaz said he would have if it came ot it, but would Red have let him?

The blue screen went silent for a moment. I HATE IT WHEN YOU ARE RIGHT.

Shiro gave a small smirk. “This isn’t something I wish I was right about,” he muttered.

ARE YOU SUGGESTING WE GO TO THE BLADE OF MARMORA?

“I don’t know,” Shiro said as he reached into his pocket for the communicator, “but I think it’s something we should keep in mind.” He looked up to the ceiling, hoping somehow he was closer to speaking to the lion’s face. “Either way, I wanted to speak to you about it before I told Keith.”

For better or worse, while they did have their disagreements, he and Red were all Keith had right now to watch out for him. His safety was one of the few things they agreed on.

I APPRECIATE THAT, Red wrote back. YOU ACT LIKE A NATURAL LEADER.

Shiro gave a bitter smile. “I’m only doing what I have to do.”

STILL, YOU WOULD BE A GOOD MATCH FOR BLACK.

Shiro put the communicator back as he frowned. “Black?” His eyes widened as he put together what she meant. “Wait, you mean of the lions?”

YES, AND SHE IS NOT JUST ANOTHER LION. SHE IS OUR LEADER.

Shiro froze. “You’re suggesting you’d want me piloting the lion that you would have to follow?”

A growl was heard before Red wrote YOU WOULD BE A FAR STEP UP FROM HER PREVIOUS PALADIN.

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Why? Who was her previous paladin?”

The screen paused again briefly and a low growl was heard. THAT IS NOT MY STORY TO TELL. YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK HER.

“I see,” Shiro said slowly.

Him as a leader of Voltron. It would certainly be a way to get back at Zarkon for all the pain he caused, and it would let him be able to stay with Keith. Course, that also meant he would be calling the shots that could lead Keith into danger. Shiro didn’t like that thought either.

IN ANY CASE, WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH WORRIES FOR ONE DAY, Red wrote. LET US CONCENTRATE ON KEITH’S RECOVERY.

“I would have to agree,” Shiro said as he rose as he rubbed his eyes. “I better go an make something for Keith to eat.”

GO THEN. I NEED TO REST AND RESTORE MY ENERGY.

Shiro nodded before he left the cockpit and tried to not pondered on what it would mean to be a paladin.

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By the time Shiro was done making the soup, he heard movement from behind. He turned and saw Keith sitting up, and moaning as he scrubbed his face with the palm of his hand.

“Hey, buddy,” Shiro said as he dished up a bowl of soup. “How you feeling?”

Keith groaned as he rubbed his neck. “Throat is sore, and I feel like a wet noodle.”

“Not surprised, you were pretty sick,” Shiro said as he sat next to him and handed him a bowl. “Here, I made some soup. You need some food in your stomach.”

Keith cringed a little, but didn’t argue as he took the bowl and sipped. “How long was I asleep?”

Shiro sighed. “Long time and...I do have news to tell you.”

Keith swallowed a mouthful as he smirk. “What? Did you and Red get into another argument?”

“Not..exactly,” Shiro said and began his tale.

He didn’t like worrying Keith, but he had to be honest on what happened. Shiro watch Keith’s eyes widened and he nearly choked when he reached to the part regarding Ulaz. 

“Wait, wait,” Keith said as he cleared his throat. “He’s been spying on me?”

“The way he spoke, he seemed to see himself more as a guardian,” Shiro said as he handed Keith a water packet. “Here, you should keep your liquids up too.”

Keith took it, but still kept the shocked expression. “But..all this time..and I never knew-”

“Do you remember the blades trying to fetch you? The ones Ulaz mentioned?”  
Keith’s frown tightened as he toyed with the straw. “Yeah, I do. It wasn’t the first time some creep was trying to trick me to come with them, so I refused and then when they didn’t take that-”

“Red intervened,” Shiro concluded as he held up a hand. “Yeah, I get the picture.” He reached into his pocket and brought out the communicator. “With that said, he did say he could take us somewhere safe where we could hide.”

Keith sipped at the water as he glared at the communicator. “You’re not saying we should trust him?”

Shiro sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. My gut says he was telling the truth though.” He then glanced to Keith’s dagger that hung out of the bag against the wall. “Also...there’s something else.”

Keith sucked out the last bit of water from the packet. “What? Turns out he was your brother or something?”

Shiro chuckled. “No,” he frowned, “but Keith...he had a symbol on his sword.” He pointed to Keith’s bag. “It was identical to the one on your dagger.”

Keith froze and he dropped the empty packet. “What? Shiro, that’s not possible.”

“I know it sounds crazy,” Shiro said gently as he patted Keith’s shoulder, “but I swear, it’s the same symbol.”

Keith shut his mouth as he picked up the dagger. He was quiet as he ran his fingers over the carved symbol. “But why? My mom gave this to my dad.” He swallowed hard. “Shiro, why would my mom have something a bunch of Galra have?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro stated firmly, “there are a lot of unanswered questions here.” He wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulder. “But I’m sticking with you, kiddo, for better or for worse.” 

Keith leaned into Shiro’s side as he shut his eyes. “Red just told me that if we wanted to go to the Blade of Marmora she would support us.”

Shiro nodded. That was useful to know. “Do you want to?”

Keith glanced to the dagger and shook his head as he placed it back in the bag. “No, maybe at some point, but not now. It’s not worth the risk.”

“Then we’ll keep this in our back pocket,” Shiro said as he held up the communicator. “We’ll save it for a time when we don’t have any other options.”

Keith nodded, but then yawned as he hugged Shiro around his waist. “Shiro...thanks for taking care of me.” He blushed slightly. “I’ve been sick before..but it was never this bad and...it was never fun.”

“I’ll bet,” Shiro said as he hugged Keith back, “and you’re welcome. I’m just grateful I was here to help you.”

Shiro debated if he should mention how Red had managed to contact him, but he decided to save that for later. There had been enough information for the the kid to absorb, and he was still recovering. No need to overload him all at once.

Keith shut his eyes. “I just woke up, and I feel exhausted.”

Shiro ruffled Keith’s hair. “Your body is just trying to heal and sleep is the best way.” He rubbed Keith’s back. “Want me to leave you alone for a bit?”

Keith continued to lean against him. “No..could we just stay like this?”

Shiro smiled as he patted Keith’s hair. “Sure can, buddy.”

Keith shut his eyes, and they sat in silence hearing nothing but the sounds of Red’s purring. Once Keith had drifted off, Shiro set him back down on the bed and tucked him in. Shiro checked him over before he spotted the dagger and picked it up.

What was the connection between the Blades and Keith? And would Keith like the answer if they got it? Shiro frowned and set it aside. Those were questions for another day. Right now, he just wanted to bask in knowing Keith was safe and for today. As Red kept purring, Shiro felt she shared the same thoughts.


End file.
